I know I have herpes

[Chel]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this group and reading everyone's discussions have already been so helpful for me. Last Wednesday, I finally slept with a guy I'd been seeing for a couple of months. He requested that we try anal sex and so I let him try very briefly, but made him stop after a few seconds because it was too uncomfortable for me.

Fast forward to Sunday morning, I woke up with excruciating pain in/around my anus. When looking at it in a mirror, it appeared as though I had a hemorrhoid (I've never had them before, but it sounded just like the descriptions online). So I got some preparation h and used it to try to relieve the symptoms (it didn't.)

Monday morning I woke up to more pain and multiple red bumps all around my anus and one or two up next to my vagina. I started researching online, but didn't have much time before work so I wore a dress and painfully went about the rest of my day, knowing I'd need to call a doctor soon. Last night I did A LOT of research on herpes and am convinced that is what I have. The red bumps have doubled and some of them seem to be slightly indented in the middle. Going to the bathroom (number 2) brought me to tears last night, and I can feel a swollen lymph node on the right side of my pubic area.

I have to call my doctor today to go in and get tested, although this seems to be textbook herpes.

I am nervous to go in to my doctor for fear that she'll judge me or treat me poorly or think I'm disgusting (since there are so many sores and they're on my anus!)

I also don't know if I should go see my PCP or my OBGYN, or if it even makes a difference.

Hopefully by the end of the day today I'll have my answer, and something from my doctor to help alleviate my symptoms! I'm scared and confused about why they're basically only showing up around my anus when we also had vaginal sex that night. My only thought is that I've had herpes for some time, didn't know about it, and transmitted it to myself somehow that night.

Anyone reading this, thank you for whatever advice/input you can offer!

[optimist]

If you have a choice, I would suggest the OB/GYN. Genital herpes is extremely common (25-30% of pregnant women are infected), so if this OB/GYN judges you, time to get a new OB/GYN. Most doctors treat genital herpes just as they treat oral herpes (cold sores), as a nuisance skin condition caused by HSV.

 

It would be great to go today if you can, while a lesion can (hopefully) still be swabbed. Once the lesions start healing, it'll be too late for a swab test. I would recommend telling the doctor you'd like to be tested and, if you are HSV+, you'd like to know which type (HSV1 or HSV2).

 

 

[HopefulHerpy]

Chel! Your story sounds like mine. I never had the lesions but trying to drop the sugar babies made me scream to the high heavens. I felt as if I were eliminating glass. I think that the OBs or pain occurs back in that region bc sex causes tears in the anal region (it isn't as durable and lubricated as our vaginal area).